The Kilmore side that won the HG Turf Shield as Seymour District Cricket Association Twenty20 champions at Bennett Oval on Sunday.

Catches win matches is a saying probably as old as cricket itself, and if one had been held in the Seymour District Cricket Association Twenty20 final, the result might well have been different.

With Kilmore teetering at 4-30 in pursuit of just 73 for victory against Nagambie, Brandyn Grenfell was dropped. He made the most of the reprieve, scoring an unbeaten 37 off 30 balls and putting on an unbroken 47 with Brett Buttler (13 not out) to guide his side to its first HG Turf Shield.

It was a win built with the ball in a game played in extremely hot, windy conditions to start with, and some cloud cover later.

Nagambie were never comfortable when batting, struggling to 8-72 mainly thanks to an unbroken 21-run stand between Zac Winter-Irving and Matt Martin. Mark Nolan (20) and Brayden Biggs (19) had earlier got the Lakers off to a promising start with a 32-run opening wicket partnership.

No-one else fired though and several Kilmore bowlers returned impressive figures, including Jayme Lowe (4-8 off four overs), Rod McLeod (2-5 off four) and Grenfell (0-7 off four). Kyle Winter-Irving was the best of the Nagambie bowlers in the Kilmore chase, taking 2-19.

The win levels the finals score between the two sides this season at one-all, with Nagambie taking out the honours in the one-day decider. Both sides meet in a two-day clash in the last round of that competition and on present form a third final between the sides is not out of the question — though there is a fair way to go yet.

Meanwhile SDCA president Mick Layton thanked long-time sponsors HG Turf for also backing the Association’s Melbourne Country Week side, which will take part in that tournament next week.Semi-finals

Nagambie and Kilmore both got to the final in similar ways earlier in the day, batting first and posting good scores which were too much to chase for Alexandra and Royals respectively.

At Chittick Park, Nolan set the Lakers on the way to the big game and continued his great form this season with an unbeaten 104 off 64 balls as his side reached 3-167.

Nolan rode his luck, being dropped three times but made the most of it. He put on 92 for the second wicket with Kyle Winter-Irving (30). Mitchell Sanders was best of the Alexandra bowlers with 2-24.

In reply the Redbacks lost early wickets, then a promising partnership between key batsmen Scott Whitehead and Marcus Hill was snuffed out when Whitehead (22) was run out by a direct hit from Jayden Gleeson at mid-off. Hill (26) and Saturday’s hero Bruce Johnson were both clean bowled off consecutive Tyrone Muir deliveries and the game was as good as over.

Despite Ben Cooper’s 21, Alexandra were dismissed for 92, with Muir taking 4-11 and Blair Taylor-Lloyd chiming in with 2-3.

At Bennett Oval, Kilmore openers Shane Topham (75) and Lowe (43) put on 113 for the first wicket as the Blues posted 8-183 against Royals. David Heather chipped in with 37. Shaun Lewin (2-24) and Brodie Pointon (2-38) were the best of the home side’s bowlers.

In reply Mick Hard (47) and Adam O’Connell (14) gave Royals a sniff with a 42-run opening stand but when an injured Mick Enrico and Hard were dismissed in quick succession the game quickly slipped away.

Royals finished at 6-113, with Connor McLeod the best of the Kilmore bowlers with 2-14.